Just War Theory Essay - 3745 Words

Just War Theory Price reduced due to problems with format One of the perennial realities of human existence is war. From the earliest recorded events of human history all the way through to modern times, human communities have engaged in armed conflict as a method of dispute resolution. While war has been a constant part of the human experience, there has also been a tendency within virtually all human civilisations to limit the extent of war and the methods by which warfare may be conducted.(1) In Western civilisation, this limitation on warfare has taken shape as an effort to limit both the determination of when war is appropriate and the means used in battle.(2) Within the Western moral, legal, and political arena, the connected†¦show more content†¦Understanding, then, that the theory of just war is one in which many sources mingle over the course of centuries, it is helpful to make a brief overview of those sources before delving into the main task of explaining just war theory. B. MAIN SOURCES OF JUST WAR THEORY 1. The Religi ous Sources of Just War Theory Many of the key thinkers who have expounded on just war theory through the centuries have identified themselves with the Christian faith, both in its Catholic and Protestant varieties. Just war theory has also gained a general acceptance among Christian theologians, philosophers, and jurists as a method of passing judgement on the morality or immorality of a particular conflict.(8) The general Christian conception of just war theory forms the core of secular just war theory and as such has had a tremendous influence on the secular conception of the just war.(9) Early Christian approaches to war were largely pacifistic in nature, due to a focus in the early Church to the notion that Christians were distinct from the rest of society.(10) However, with the growing Christianization of the Roman Empire, and the increasing political and social influence of the Christian Church, Christian theologians during the fourth and fifth centuries began to develop just ifications for the use of force which would eventually takeShow MoreRelatedIs The Just War Theory?1103 Words   |  5 PagesJUST WAR THEORY The just war theory is a to a great extent Christian logic that endeavours to accommodate three things as follows: taking human life is truly out of line. States have an obligation to safeguard their natives and to protect equity. And protecting honest human life and protecting good values some of the time obliges ability to utilize constrain and brutality. The theory determines conditions for judging on the off chance that it is simply to go to war, and conditions for how the warRead MoreThe Just War Theory Of War1841 Words   |  8 Pagesattitudes concerning the morality of war can change and lead the nation into unnecessary conflicts. The United States’ views towards war from two different time periods display a shift when compared to a moral standard. Comparing these attitudes to the Just War Doctrine displays this change towards morality. The Just War Theory serves as a guideline for determining a war as moral. The Doctrine consists of three major principles that contain the criteria of just war. Jus ad bellum outlines the situationsRead MoreThe Just War Theory Essay1299 Words   |  6 PagesWhat is the Just War theory and how did it pertain to St. Augustine? According to Augustine there is no private right to kill. According to Paul Ramsey opposes in The Just War, Christian participation in warfare â€Å"was not actually an exception to the commandment, â€Å"you shall not murder† but instead an expression of the Christian understanding of moral and political responsibility. One can kill only under the authority of God. St. Augustine argued that Christian rulers had such an obligation to makeRead MoreNonviolence And Just War Theory2838 Words   |  12 PagesNonviolence and Just War Theory â€Å"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.† (Matthew 5:9) Historically, there has been consistent disagreement between political philosophers regarding the possibility of a justification of war. 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So, if your countryRead MoreJust War Theory, Using The Gulf War1410 Words   |  6 Pageswill present the concept of just war theory, using the Gulf War as a case study in order to understand the concreteness of the doctrine. The choice of this case is due to the various issues regarding the application of just war theory to modern conflict, which will be discussed in the concluding part of the paper. Just war tradition has its origins in the fourth century AD. The first propagandist of these ideas was St. Augustine (AD 354-430), who elaborated a just war doctrine, which was later adaptedRead MoreEssay about Christianity And The Just War Theory668 Words   |  3 Pages Does the Just War Theory provide sufficient moral justification for Christians’ involvement in war? The Just War Theory is a set of criteria that are used to judge whether a war is morally justifiable. It was St Augustine in the third century that formulated the Just War theory, and was formalised 10 centuries later by Thomas Aquinas. There are seven criteria by which a war can be judged to be just. Among the rules are Just Cause – there must be a very good reason for going to war, such as protectingRead MoreThe Just War Theory Is No Loss Of Human Life Justifiable?1169 Words   |  5 PagesWar, a horrible and destructive force that has existed since the beginning of man and has been used for a variety of reasons. From petty disputes over land or resources to civilizations based on war and sometimes to protect the innocent. But can a war be truly justified and can it be controlled?   Ã‚  Ã‚   The just war theory is â€Å" the basis on which nations seek to legally and morally justify going to war.† as defined by Oregon State University. The Just war Theory is an interesting and important topicRead MorePlato’s Republic and the Just War Theory Versus Humanitarian Intervention1044 Words   |  5 Pagesnational interest is not at stake. ² The just war theory and Plato’s Republic can both be used to justify the humanitarian intervention doctrine. Just war theory deals with the justification of how and why wars are fought. It is a set of conditions under which a resort to war is morally legitimate, also known as jus ad bellum. It also contains rules for the moral conduct of war, known as jus in bello. The theory is intended to prevent wars by showing that going to war except in certain circumstances isRead MoreJust War Theory815 Words   |  4 PagesJust War Theory and a Thoughtful Realist One important theory within International Relations shows a moral aspect on how to conduct war. This theory is called Just War Theory. Just War Theory is a doctrine of military ethics from a philosophical and Catholic viewpoint. This theory consists of two parts: Jus ad bellum (the right to go to war) and Jus in bello (right conduct within war). Jus a bellum, the right to go to war, explicitly describes how a nation-state should conduct itself before